In Service of the Queen
by Jknight3135
Summary: The city state of Vale, ruled by the reigning Schnee vampire clan for hundreds of years along with the merchant council is as prosperous a place as can be reasonably expected in medieval society. That however doesn't mean there aren't people down on their luck, Ruby and her sister are two such individuals, Ruby takes a chance to save her sister from desperation, but at what price?
1. Chapter 1: The Drought of Life

**A/N: Alright I've been working on this in the background for some time now, realistically I should probably not be posting it now, since chapter 2 isn't done yet but oh well. I finally thought of a name I liked so I'm posting it.**

 **Fair warning this will likely take a long time to update (just like everything else I write)**

* * *

In service of the Queen

Chapter 1: The Draught of Life

Vale.

Vale was… different than most of the other kingdoms, firstly by the simple fact it wasn't really a _kingdom,_ as it wasn't presided over by a 'King' or a 'Queen' for that matter. The city-state of Vale was presided over by a merchant council with the head of the council being the only permanent member of the council. That is _permanent_ by the way, the same man has sat at the head of the council chamber for over 400 years, the patriarch of the Schnee house of vampires. Alcranz Schnee heads the council; he decides which merchants oversee which aspects of running the city and the small surrounding farmland. The Schnee house has dozens of members although most are brought into the family one way or another the only members of the Schnee bloodline in Vale are Alcranz himself, his wife Wenze, then their three daughters, the eldest Valen, the middle Weiss, and the youngest Winter. Besides that there are many "relatives" that have joined the family through the bonds of vampirisim, as well as a large staff of servants, some enthralled by vampiric bites and some not.

The city itself is located at the northern end of a large valley on the shore of a large inland sea, the mountains surrounding the valley being the limit of the small city-state domain. The valley is filled mostly with expansive fields of golden wheat to make bread for the city's inhabitants, although at the mouth of the valley there are large plots of land for domestic animals like cattle and sheep that provide meat, milk, and other assorted goods, while land near the sloping mountainsides is either terraced for rice or covered in olive orchards or vineyards. The mouth of the valley has the only road connecting the city to the rest of the world and is constantly bustling with merchants heading to the city's large trade port to sell or ship their goods. The road is guarded at the mountain pass by a large stone fortress carved out of the dark stone of the mountain itself, this fortress controls the gate and acts as the habitation for the vast majority of the city's military. Vale again is surrounded on the landward sides by tall well maintained stone walls with large round turrets spaced along it, the top of each adorned by large ballistae or trebuchet. The bay that makes up Vale's prosperous merchant port is flanked on either side by dozens of towers and alcoves carved into the faces of the mountains on either side of the mouth of the bay again adorned with siege weapons to deter any would be invaders. The city proper surrounds the Schnee castle built atop a small hill snuggled against the mountainside with the vast majority of its rooms hewn out of the mountain it rests against. Surrounding the castle is another short wall giving the castle a modest courtyard for the purpose of maintaining a stable and a smithy. Beyond the walls of the castle makes up the merchant district, thus called because the modest stone houses are inhabited primarily by the small intermediate merchants of Vale, beyond that in the center of the valley's dip is the large district commonly referred to as 'Trough' because of its location at the low dip of the valley center. This district is filled with tightly packed wood houses; it is inhabited by the lower end of the cities inhabitants meager merchants, fishermen, low craftsmen and the like. The area surrounding the harbor is known as 'Bilge' it is the city's poor district inhabited by dock workers, sailors, and other common laborers as well as the poor and homeless. Finally the far end of the city is known as DawnGate because the mountain side is bathed with the morning light while the keep is shadowed beneath the opposite mountain, here live the city's great merchants in extravagant manses and villas. And here is where the hopes of one young lady lie.

* * *

It is not uncommon for young women seeking to gain employment as servants to mill about in the markets of DawnGate looking for merchants in need of maids or cooks. One girl in particular, dressed in red and black with a sturdy red cloak about her shoulders, made her way through the crowd trying to find one of the city's merchants.

" _I've got all day to find a job before Yang gets home, today I'll find someone and I'll be able to help Yang pay the bills."_ Ruby thought to herself as she pushed her way through the crowd.

Ruby and her sister lived in a small house in Bilge, their father was gone for most of the year working as a sailor on the merchant vessels leaving early in the spring and not returning until the beginning of winter when the seasonal trade routes were completed, their Uncle Qrow watched over them most of the time, he was an officer for the city watch as a drill instructor, and often helped support the girls. Yang worked as an apprentice to a blacksmith in Trough and from that they were able to scrape by, Yang had insisted that Ruby not get a job especially as a servant because of how maids were treated by some of the merchant houses, but Ruby was old enough to see the strain Yang's work put on her. Not only her work but also the lost sleep doing extra work, and the meager rations she thought Ruby didn't notice so that she could have enough to eat.

Honestly Ruby was sick of being babied, she was old enough to help, and so for the past week Ruby had left for the markets after yang had gone to work trying to find employment in one of the merchant houses.

She pushed her way through the crowd, her short stature limiting her vision to her direct surroundings, when suddenly there weren't people in front of her. Startled, she tripped falling into the clear area she had stumbled into. Picking herself up and dusting herself off she looked around, standing there not ten feet from her was Weiss Schnee and a pair of house guards. Ruby had accidentally stumbled into their path.

Weiss was dressed in a beautiful and simultaneously practical dress, the top was a coat almost looking like a military uniform jacket while a skirt billowed down from the silver embroidered white leather belt around her waist that had her rapier hung from it. Her hair was tied up into a single asymmetrical ponytail held in place by a small tiara, letting her alabaster hair flow down to her waist.

"You there Mo-" One of the guards began to shout and Ruby realized she had taken at least several seconds to just stare, but Weiss stopped him with a raised hand.

"I-I'm terribly sorry, I just tripped, I'll get out of your." Ruby began blabbering as she tried to back into the crowd to no avail.

"Don't. Come here." Weiss' voice was even and full of command.

Ruby shrank before the powerful vampire but obeyed stepping before the white haired girl, who examined her with crystal clear blue eyes, slit pupils scanning her carefully.

"Are you seeking employ as a maid?" Weiss asked after a moment.

"Y-yes." Ruby stuttered out, her head down focusing on her boots.

"I am in need of a personal attendant."

Ruby snapped her head up, was _Weiss Schnee_ really offering her this? _"Yang will certainly kill me if I take this job she's never liked the vampires, and the castle could be dangerous…"_ Ruby looked to the heiress' face where two sharp fangs poked from beneath her upper lip. _"It's not unheard off for a vampire to drink someone to death… but it's the only job offer I've gotten in a week…"_

"A-are you offering t-to hire me?" Ruby tried to look the heiress in the face but the best she could manage was staring intently at her stomach.

"Yes, you seem perfectly capable for what I require." The heiress responded. "It pays well I assure you."

Ruby gulped, the vampires have been known to occasionally hire maids merely to drink of them, and while usually not to a point of lethality, one could also be enthralled, bent to the vampire's will through a magic infused bite and would then be compelled to obey their every whim until released from the spell. Many of the castles servants were enthralled for simplicity, and for the most part lived normally but it could just as easily become a life of serving her mistresses desires.

She took a deep breath and bowed her head. "G-gladly m-mistress."

Weiss smiled slightly. "Good that brings my visit to the market to a thankfully quick close, come now what is your name?"

Ruby fell into step just behind Weiss as they turned around facing the keep in the distance. "Ruby, Ruby Rose."

Weiss nodded. "Very good, now then you're going to be my personal attendant, I'm tired of having to go searching for servants just because I need a message run across the castle, or something stupid like that. Your job will be to wait around in case I need something."

Ruby nodded and waited for further instructions but she was silent. "Is… is that it?"

Weiss continued walking and replied evenly. "Yes, I merely require someone to do the odd bit of legwork I need done, I expect the majority of your duties will be fetching me drinks from the castle cellar." Weiss paused for a moment glancing back over her shoulder. "Why? Were you expecting something else?"

Ruby quickly looked away blushing lightly. "I… I guess I didn't know what to expect."

Weiss held her gaze on Ruby for a few moments longer before turning back. "We just need to see Glynda now to get you officially on the staff roster.

* * *

Ruby sat in a padded chair in front of a large dark wood desk, behind which sat Glynda Goodwitch, a vampire under the employ of the Schnee family for secretarial work. Her small office was filled with hundreds of small drawers, sheaves of documents piled precariously high in some places, and a glass front cabinet filled with quills and bottles of ink.

"So you understand the contract?" Glynda asked referring to the document Ruby had been reading for a few minutes.

"Yes, I just need to sign?" Ruby asked looking up from the document.

Glynda nodded opening a drawer behind her desk and pulling out a special quill, feathered in black with a gleaming silver tip. "It is traditional to sign in blood."

Ruby took the quill noting that its point was indeed sharp and clean, she nodded and pressed the sharpened quill into her palm until a drop of crimson blood welled up around it. She then signed her name across the bottom of the contract, doing her best to keep it neat.

Glynda took the quill and the contract stowing away both before nodding to Weiss who had been standing to the side of the room waiting. Ruby stood and faced her briefly glancing down at her still bleeding palm.

Weiss noticed and pushed herself away from the wall. "Give me your hand."

Ruby nodded holding out her injured hand palm up, Weiss took it in her own and Ruby didn't fail to notice how smooth but strong that hand was. Weiss bent and pulled Ruby's hand towards her, Ruby's heart thumped with a sudden thrumming excitement as Weiss ran her tongue over the bead of blood on her hand.

Ruby's palm was smooth and soft but Weiss could feel the muscles beneath the skin as well, she ran her tongue over the small drop of blood hardly even thinking of it, but the taste exploded across her tongue and a blossoming warmth spread through her. The taste was like nothing she had ever experienced before and the strange warmth it elicited excited her, she was filled with a powerful urge to bend Ruby over the desk and sink her fangs into her right there, and then maybe something more…

"Miss Weiss?" Glynda's voice broke through the fog that had filled her mind, if only briefly.

Weiss looked up to Glynda and it took all of her considerable composure to reply quickly. "Is… Velvet here like I asked?"

Ruby let out a breath she didn't know she had been holding, the look in Weiss' eyes had bored straight down to her core, it had paralyzed her but she couldn't quite say if it was from fear or… excitement. There had been a primeval rush in that look, something that sparked a deeply primal urge within her, but whether the urge was to run for her life or throw off her clothes she couldn't decide. She wanted to believe that it had been fear, vampires were powerful, dangerous, and mysterious, she _should_ be afraid, but then why could she not convince herself it had been fear?

"Yes, she should be waiting for you in the hall." Glynda replied.

"Thank you Glynda." Weiss replied stepping out of the small cluttered office followed quickly by Ruby.

Another servant was standing in the hall, a rabbit Faunus girl dressed in maids attire. "Velvet." Weiss addressed her simply.

"Yes Miss Schnee?" Velvet replied stepping closer.

"This is Ruby, she's my new personal attendant, I'd like you to show her the important parts of the castle, I will be in my study, bring her there when you're done." With that Weiss walked off down the hallway.

Velvet nodded turning to Ruby with a smile. "Follow me. I'll be showing you the most important parts of the castle for servants like us."

Ruby nodded and followed after, glancing back over her shoulder at the retreating form of Weiss.

* * *

The castle truly was beautiful, the large hallways were lit from hundreds of small arrow slit windows located high on the walls, the floor had thick padded carpets stretched down their center, and the walls were decorated with various objects from weapons and armor on plaques to portraits and banners.

Ruby followed Velvet out of a pair of thick oak doors into the castle's modest courtyard, mostly consisting of wear-worn dirt but a few patches of green grass sprouted up where people rarely tread.

"On the right there are the stables, Yatsuhashi is the stable-master talk to him if Miss Schnee sends you to ready her horse." The stables consisted of a long low building made of wood built directly against the keep's walls, to the right of the long row of stalls was a small cobblestone building with a slate roof that Ruby assumed was where Yatsuhashi lived.

"On the left there is the blacksmith." Velvet motioned to a large open air workplace filled with tools, workbenches and anvils, the back of which was dominated by a large stone forge. Again this was built right against the keep walls with its roof slanting away from the walls to keep the smithy dry, and was again accompanied by a small cobblestone building. "We currently don't have a blacksmith as the last one retired, Miss Schnee is actually in the process of finding a new smith, so you probably won't need to be sent here for a little while at least."

Heading back into the castle they passed a pair of large double doors that were left open. "This is the main dining room, Master Schnee also meets his council here, and you'll probably attend dinner with Miss Schnee to serve her."

Ruby noted the location in her mind and continued building a map of the castle in her mind; it was not somewhere she wanted to get lost in.

Next they came to a pair of simple wooden doors recessed back into a small alcove to hide them from immediate view. "On the left are the kitchens the chefs there will give you anything Miss Schnee sends you for, on the right is a staircase leading down to the wine cellar, Ren tends the cellars and will retrieve anything you are sent for."

A few short minutes later they arrived before a large pair of dark oak doors emblazoned with the Schnee snowflake crest, this one slightly different than the others sharper and surrounded by small triangles, Weiss' personal emblem.

"This is Miss Weiss' study, her bedroom is attached." With a bright smile Velvet left walking down the hallway.

Ruby watched her go before opening the heavy door, closing it behind her she looked around. The room wasn't exceptionally large but the high vaulted ceiling made it feel larger than it was, the walls were covered with towering bookshelves, and another set of shelves were spaced away from the walls creating two hallways along the side of the room that Ruby couldn't see into. At the opposite end of the room there was a massive three sided desk sitting in front of a large cathedral-like window that looked out into the valley along the mountainside. The desk was covered with relatively neat sheaves of paper, ink, quills, and other assorted clerical supplies; next to the desk was a case with several swords emerging from it. Finally, Weiss was leaned against the front of the desk looking out the window.

Weiss looked back over her shoulder at Ruby, her face cast in shadow against the light of the window behind her only led to enhance the vampiric glow of her eyes, a piercing ice blue with a crimson red rimming her slit pupils.

"Come here." Weiss spoke with a commanding voice, quiet and calm but controlled.

Ruby moved almost without thinking, obeying the commanding tone, walking across the plush dark green carpeting until she came around the desk. Weiss looked sidelong at her before moving in a blur, pinning Ruby to the desk, the vampires' body pressed against her holding her there while one hand rested at her waist the other gently cupping her cheek. Ruby only had time to suck in a short breath as Weiss' eyes locked with her own.

"Why does your blood excite me like this?" Weiss asked as she gently traced her fingers along the red girls jaw. "One little drop and all I can think of is sinking my fangs into you." Weiss' hand moved along her jaw to cup the back of her head, delicate fingers twining into her dark hair as Weiss' eyes bored into her own, her face close enough for Ruby to feel her breath ghost across her skin. Ruby's heart thumped and she barely dared to breathe.

"Are you afraid?" The vampire asked her feeling the pulse quicken beneath her fingers.

"No." It was almost a whisper as it passed her lips, but truth.

Emotions roiled within her; surely this vampire was going to bite her, to drink from her, why then was she not afraid but instead… excited, flushed with warmth as this beautiful vampire pressed against her.

Weiss pulled her head slightly to the side better exposing her neck as the vampire lowered her mouth towards the soft flesh; placing a gentle kiss on the warm skin before opening her mouth wide and finally sinking her fangs in with one smooth motion.

Ruby gasped as her vision went white, four sharp pinpricks of pain quickly melted into a spreading heat that rippled over her skin from the warm lips pressed against her. Her hands wrapped around the white girls back holding her close as she drank, too focused on the strange sensation she lost her balance and they both fell back onto the desk.

After a few more thick swallows Weiss' fangs parted and Ruby could feel her tongue running greedily over the small punctures for every last trace of the crimson elixir she sought. Ruby panted, she was warm and a few beads of sweat clung to her as Weiss moved away from her neck looking back into her eyes as she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.

They stayed like that for a while, before Weiss blinked finally breaking the eye contact, a calm returning to her person, she helped Ruby off the desk.

"Thank you Ruby." Weiss said simply.

Ruby could only blush and look away with a slight hum acknowledging the gratitude.

Weiss walked over to the large window looking out as the sky began changing from a bright blue to hues of orange as the sun began setting. She lifted one arm above her head grabbing her elbow with her other arm she arched her back stretching before letting out a contented sigh, turning back to Ruby with a slight smile on her face.

"Thank you Ruby, that's all for today, I'll see you tomorrow." Weiss said the slight smile still on her face.

Ruby bowed slightly before making her exit leaving Weiss alone with her thoughts.

* * *

Weiss felt good, a comfortable fatigue rested on her as she moved into her bedroom and began preparing for bed. She would usually get in bed feeling tired, worn out from the day's activities, but today a comfortable sleepiness weighed on her eyelids.

She slept better than she had in a long while.

* * *

 **A/N: Well there we go, I'd love to hear what you think of it thus far. I've paid careful attention to including a lot of detail, this is kind of a practice in it and I hope of done a decent job of it.**

 **Until next chapter.**


	2. Chapter 2: Blood, Bribes, and Breakfast

**A/N: Here we are! You guys showed a lot of interest in this (seriously 61 follows on one chapter? Like holy fuck) I had about half of this chapter written when chapter one went up so I don't know if I'll be able to keep up this place but I'm going to attempt to update Bi-weekly, I stress attempt. But I won't keep you here, enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter 2: Blood, bribes, and breakfast**

Yang was going to kill her.

Ruby walked back towards her home through the moonlit streets of Vale, the Schnee castle looming from the mountainside behind her. She knew Yang would be angry with her for getting a job, especially a job at the castle. Yang had never liked the vampires, they had something to do with why her mother left, or at least Yang thought they did. Not to mention the fact the vampires were often seen as monsters anyway, drinking blood and wielding powerful magic. Vale was somewhat more tolerant of vampirism, due to how well the Schnee house has governed Vale, but despite their benevolence hatred still remained in the righteous and superstitious.

Ruby nervously ran her hands along the edge of her cloak, she had left a message for Yang saying she was searching for a job and might be home late, the same message she had left out and recovered before Yang returned every time she had failed to find work. But she knew that wouldn't stop her from worrying.

She arrived at her front door to their little shack, it really wasn't too bad, it didn't rain a lot in Vale and it wasn't cold yet so the draft wasn't bad, it was home. Steeling herself with a deep breath she opened the door and stepped in.

The single room home was filled with the sisters meager possessions, the ground floor had a small kitchen area next to a small pantry with a little cast iron stove. A round wooden table and chairs served as both an eating area and a work space, it was currently cluttered with bits of metalwork, leather, and fabric from Yang's blacksmith work and Ruby's sewing. The floor was wear worn grey stone with a few threadbare rugs covering some places, a simple wooden ladder lead up to the loft where their straw filled mattresses were. Yang had knocked her chair over backwards as she stood from sitting at the table.

"Ruby!" Yang nearly knocked her over with the force of her hug, but not a moment later Yang was holding her at arm's length. "What in the dust damned hell were you thinking?!"

"Yang, we need-" Yang cut her off.

"No, I told you no! We're fine, what am I going to have to do to get you out of this mess?" Yang paced throwing her arms up and walking back towards the table.

Ruby clenched her fists, Yang was treating her like a child. "You can't I signed a contract."

Yang whipped around to face her, her eyes narrowing. "Where did you get hired?"

"The keep, I'm the lady Weiss' personal attendant." Ruby replied crossing her arms over her chest defiantly.

"Oh dust the keep?! Ruby you can't go back there, the vampires." She stopped dead staring at Ruby.

She walked over and yanked the collar of her shirt over moving her head to the side looking at her neck where a set of little red puncture marks shown against her pale skin. "Ruby."

"Yes, Weiss bit me, I'm fine, and I'm going back tomorrow morning." Ruby grit out slapping Yang's hands away from her.

"Like hell you are! Just dust Ruby what were you thinking!" Yang shouted .

Ruby lost it. "You want to know what I was thinking?! I was thinking that I couldn't take watching my sister starve herself anymore!" Yang's eyes widened slightly. "Yeah I noticed, I noticed you're eating less, I noticed you're working later and sleeping less, I couldn't just sit here and watch you work yourself to death!"

The color had drained from Yang's face her hands hanging limply at her sides. "Ruby."

"No! Shut up! I'm doing this for both of us, just like you are, and I got lucky being hired by Weiss!" She threw a sack of coins at yang, the payment Glynda had given her for her first day of work. "How many days of your work is that?"

Yang opened the sack and her eyes widened; she looked off to the side not making eye contact. "A week maybe…" She said with a pained expression.

"Exactly, I'm not a child anymore! I can make my own decisions." Tears started forming in the corners of her eyes. "I was worried you might do something drastic." The look she gave Yang told her she knew exactly what that implied. With that she climbed up the ladder and crawled into her bed.

Yang sat down heavily placing the sack of money on the table; she ran a hand through her hair. She had almost resorted to… selling herself. The blacksmith she worked for was a greasy scumbag but he was the only one who would hire her, she did more of the work at the smithy than he did now. He had offered her money to take her, she had refused, but they were starting to get real lean on money, dust she had almost given in. Ruby had saved her from that, but at what price to her?

* * *

 _Weiss pressed her against one of the massive book cases of her private study, one hand rested on her side the other gently brushing a strand of hair from her face. Ruby's heart pounded in her chest. Weiss' lips ghosted over Ruby's cheek before the vampire tilted her head to the side and sunk her fangs in._

Ruby awoke and sucked in a gasping breath.

It was just a dream.

The bite mark on her neck throbbed, not painfully, but almost pleasantly like the memory of sun on your skin. A shiver ran through her and she held herself feeling suddenly alone as the throbbing faded.

The clatter of pots and pans drifted up to the loft from bellow and the smell of cooking food came with it. Climbing down the ladder Ruby found Yang cooking a rather large breakfast.

"Yang?" She asked curiously.

Yang turned looking to her before quickly looking back to her cooking. "I'm using up what we had left, I'm not working todays so I'll go and buy us fresh food and some other things with the money you brought home."

Ruby just hummed sitting down at the table as Yang handed her a plate, fried bread and potatoes with some vegetables, simple but filling and inexpensive. She made sure Yang had taken a good portion for herself before she began eating her own. After finishing she gathered the few things she would need for her day at the keep before heading for the door.

"Ruby, wait." Yang called coming over to her at the doorway.

Ruby gave her a bit of glare, yang raised her hands defensively. "I know, I know." She sighed. "Dust I know we need this, and I'm sorry for how I was treating you, I just… I thought I could handle this on my own."

Ruby's face softened into a smile. "You don't have to make sacrifices for me Yang, I can stand up on my own."

"Just… promise me you'll be careful up there okay? I don't like that you're working for those vampires." Yang replied glaring out of the doorway at the keep.

"I'll be fine Yang, I think you're making a big deal out of nothing."

Yang just sighed setting her face into a thin frown, Ruby shook her head and headed off towards the keep.

* * *

Weiss was just getting out of bed, she stretched languidly as morning light peeked in through the curtains. She took a deep breath as she stretched exhaling loudly as she finished, she felt a pleasant energy about her, a vigor she hadn't felt in quite some time.

Getting up she began preparing for the day, washing her face in a basin of water, most of the family chose rosewater or some other flower to give them a heady scent, but Weiss chose mint the sharp scent helped keep her focused, and the almost stinging cold feeling it gave the water woke her up quickly. After that she put her hair up into its usual off kilter ponytail, and began dressing placing her dirty clothes away in a basket, just as she was finishing a light knock came at her door.

"Yes?" She called.

"It's me, Ruby Miss." Came the muffled reply.

"Come in." She called back returning to the last few buttons of her shirt.

Ruby stepped into the room quietly closing the door behind her. Weiss leaned back on her dresser looking over the slightly smaller girl, she glimpsed the small red puncture marks on her pale skin and a sudden urge to drink from her again swelled up within her.

Weiss beckoned her over and Ruby obeyed stepping up to the vampire but keeping her eyes averted. Weiss cupped her chin gently in her hand tilting her head up until their eyes met, and again Ruby looked into those crystal clear sapphires tinged with hints of the purest ruby, she gulped.

Weiss just looked at her, her thumb tracing the lower edge of Ruby's bottom lip. "Did you dream of me last night?"

Ruby's eyes widened slightly. "Y-yes, how did you know?"

"It's an effect of the bite." Weiss replied staring distractedly at Ruby, thoughts of whiling away the day in bed sinking her fangs into the red girl over and over again filled her mind. "You will probably dream of me every night if I continue to drink from you."

Ruby mulled that over for a moment, the dream certainly hadn't been _bad_ but she wasn't sure how it felt to know she would dream of that every night.

Weiss' head sank towards her neck. "Maybe… maybe just a quick sip before breakfast?" She asked as her lips ghosted over a pulsing vein.

Weiss' fangs sank into her again, hot pinpricks in her neck spreading warmth throughout her body as blood flowed into Weiss' hungry mouth. After only a moment Weiss pulled away licking her lips greedily. "Mmm thank you Ruby."

Ruby just noded in reply trying to settle her pounding heart.

Weiss returned to dressing herself a little more awake and alert after her drink. "I'll be working in my study today, go to the kitchen and get some biscuits and coffee please." Weiss said as she finished donning her garments buttoning up the last few buttons on her jacket even as the flush of blood cooled from her face.

"Right away Miss." Ruby replied bowing slightly before ducking out of the room and heading in the direction she thought was the kitchen, her heart still thuttering in her chest.

* * *

She definitely remembered this hallway from yesterday, the two halberds mounted on the wall she remembered, the next intersection was where she needed to turn, one led to the courtyard the other to the kitchens but which way was which? She was so distracted by the twisting corridors of the castle she was attempting to re-create in her mind that she nearly walked right into the figure coming around the corner.

Alcranz Schnee.

"M-Master Schnee!" Ruby stammered in surprise quickly folding herself nearly in half at the waist as she bowed to him.

Alcranz merely quirked a corner of his mouth upwards slightly in amusement. He had a slim but strong fencer's build and sharp drawn features. His coal black hair was pulled back into a small bob at the back of his head tied with a thin satin blue strip of silk, and his goatee was trimmed immaculately. The long white dress shirt partially covered by a black pinstriped vest and silken slacks gave him a very businesslike appearance while also maintaining an heir of regality, all of which added up to scare the living daylights out of poor Ruby.

"Please, just call me 'Sir' the Wife doesn't like pretty young servant girls calling me 'Master'." He said with a chuckle.

Ruby blushed furiously. "Yes,.. Sir."

He straightened up a little his small smile fading. "It's Ruby, is it not?"

"Y-yes sir, Ruby Rose." Ruby replied still bent at a 90 degree angle staring fixedly at the plush red carpeting.

The most powerful man in Vale sighed rolling his eyes. "You can stop bowing now, it's really not necessary." He said with the heir of a man who is bowed to far too often, at least in his opinion.

Ruby straightened up twisting her hands nervously, and keeping her head slightly down.

"Now I want you to listen to me." He said crossing one arm across his chest and gesturing with the other.

Ruby finally looked to him, seeing the shockingly clear blue eyes that Weiss had inherited from him, if not his coal black hair. "Sir?"

"You are the first person Weiss has bitten in…" He paused a moment in thought. "Far too long," He continued." We vampires drink blood liqueur to extend the time between drinking from live humans, or at least most of us do anyway, but in any case it is not meant to sustain us for so long without real fresh blood." Ruby cocked her head slightly as he talked. "I don't know why you have finally broken her out of her fasting but you have and that's what's important to me, I want her to be happy and healthy and for far too long she has not been." He sighed slightly before fixing the slight red girl with a steely look. "If that means taking some… extra ordinary measures to keep you content in your position here, then so be it." He said with a conspiratorial shrug.

Ruby had to take a second to think over what he just said before it sank in, he was offering to bribe her for her blood.

"T-that's not necessary Sir." She stammered out quickly after the long silence of her thinking. "Really sir this job pays well enough to keep me and my sister afloat Sir, we don't need much."

The Schnee head was a little surprised that this poor peasant girl had declined his offer. _"Too much time spent with those damnable merchants."_ He thought to himself deciding that this girl had a good heart and might do some real good for his daughter's stone one. "Very good." He nodded realizing he didn't know what to say now that his bribe had actually been refused. "I'll let you get on your way then, and the offer still stands if it becomes necessary."

She nodded bowing, although only modestly this time. "Thank you sir." She said slipping around him towards what she hoped was the kitchen.

Alcranz nodded to himself pleased with that fatherly act even if n the end it had only cost him a moment of his time, exceptionally cheap for long lived vampires, when something the young girl had said caught his attention, quickly he called over his shoulder. "What did you say your name was again?"

Ruby turned back just as she was about to round the next corner seeing the entrance to the kitchen just down the hall, bouncing on her feet eager to finish her errand quickly. "Ruby Rose sir."

He nodded to her and she disappeared around the corner quickly. _"Ruby Rose, related to Summer Rose? She must be, why didn't I recognize those grey eyes immediately?"_ He walked quickly through the corridors hands clasped behind his back as he thought. _"I'll need to have a chat with Qrow."_

* * *

Ruby pushed open the door to the kitchen with a purposeful tick to her stride, as soon as the heavy wooden door opened she was assaulted with a wave of heat and the smell of baked goods and cooking meat. The kitchen was a fairly large space, but cluttered with wooden countertops covered in any number of cooking devices many of which Ruby could not identify. The walls were covered with white plaster, or what could be seen of them were, most of the wall space was covered with racks of hanging utensils or bundles of herbs or shelves containing… utensils or _jars_ of herbs. The ceiling was low and made of the heavy wooden beams of the floor above it divided by a series of red brick arches supporting the weight of castle above it. At the far end of the room was large brick oven being used by a rather short woman with bright orange hair holding a large baking board in a manner that implied violence.

The woman noticed her and raised the board above her head. "HELLO!" She yelled at the top of her apparently impressive lungs. Her face was smudged with flour and her grin was wide and full of energy. She wore a white apron over a long sleeved black shirt rolled up to her elbows, her apron was patched in several places with varying colors and types of fabric patches of mostly silver and pink.

"Uhm… hello?" Ruby mumbled as she approached the woman.

"You must be Weiss' new girl, I'm Nora the head chef here." She said posing heroically with the bakers' board.

"Ruby, uh yes I'm here to get biscuits and coffee for Weiss?" She asked cocking a curious eyebrow at the oddly energetic woman.

"Oh sure, there's a pot of coffee over there, just fill up a carafe and get the milk and sugar and stuff from the cabinets right there." She said pointing over to an area next to a large pot hung over a fire. "I'll have some fresh biscuits for ya in just a sec here." She finished looking into the blazing mouth of the brick oven.

Ruby nodded scurrying over to the large pot full of dark slightly bubbling coffee, she wasn't usually one for the drink herself but she had to admit that the smell was very comforting in that odd sort of way that coffee is in the morning. Opening the nearby cupboards and cabinets she found a serving tray, a cup of sugar, a small pot of cream from a cool clay hollow sunk into the ground, a mug and saucer and finally a silver carafe that she filled from a spigot attached to the bubbling pot. By the time she gathered all of that together on the tray Nora walked over with five fresh steaming rolls on a plate with a small clay pot of butter and a blunt edged knife. Ruby took the plate putting it on the tray.

"Thank you." Ruby said with a smile and a nod.

"Any time, and if you're ever hungry just drop in." Nora leaned in conspiratorially. "I've always got a little extra for the serving girls." And with a wink Nora sent her off back towards Weiss waiting in her study.

* * *

Ruby somewhat awkwardly manipulated the door handle to Weiss' study while balancing the tray of gently steaming goods in her other hand. Weiss was seated at her large desk busily flicking her eyes over a small stack of papers in her right hand while her other hand deftly handled a long slim sword, every few moments her eyes would flick from the blade to the papers and then back.

Ruby approached the desk coughing lightly when she neared and Weiss had shown no sign of noticing her. Weiss' head whirled quickly her eyes narrowed but she relaxed as soon as she saw Ruby.

"Ah very good just put it here on the desk." Weiss said indicating one of the very few spots on her desk that was not occupied by something.

"How would you like it Miss'?" She asked placing the tray down and picking up the carafe to pour. Weiss glanced back to her seeing that Ruby was going to pour it for her, she grabbed the plate of biscuits herself before she replied.

"Cream and just a little sugar." She said tearing open a steaming biscuit before picking up the knife.

Ruby poured the coffee and doctored it to Weiss' instructions before placing it at her elbow. Weiss' eyes never left the page she was reading as she reached for the cup and took a sip. "Ah, thank you Ruby, you make take a seat I doubt I will need you for anything immediately I just have these blacksmith reports to read."

Ruby walked towards one of the comfortable looking armchairs set behind Weiss' desk next to a small end table holding a few books and a dust lamp of wrought silver, its glowing crystal currently dimmed as the large window provided plenty of light.

"Yes, I'm in charge of finding a new master smith to replace Tormund, our retired smith, so I've requisitioned every blacksmith of note in Vale to make one sword of their best quality for my appraisal." Weiss replied almost absentmindedly as she shuffled through more reports. "Oh, you may read any of the books here; I imagine you'll have plenty of time waiting on me."

Ruby nodded changing her course from the chair to the bookshelves. "Thanks you Miss'."

Weiss just grunted slightly as she took another sip of coffee.

The massive bookshelves seemed almost daunting to approach but Ruby's innate curiosity overcame it and she began to examine the contents of the shelves, hundreds of tomes of various conditions, colors, sizes, and binding. Some in leather, some in cloth, others merely held together by rings of metal, books weren't the only things on the shelves though, trinkets and knick-knacks of various descriptions hid amongst the tomes, small jewelry boxes, an hourglass of dark mahogany inlaid with gold, a carven ivory statue depicting a strange figure in foreign looking robes, a highly detailed miniature ship, and numerous other objects kept Ruby's attention for some time before a book piqued her interest.

With that in hand she went to the large plush armchair and sat down, it may have been the most comfortable thing she had ever sat on.

* * *

 **A/N: Well thank you for reading and I hope to see you all again next time!**

 **P.S. The best way to keep me updating is to follow or review or even just PM me, the more you all badger me the guiltier I feel for not updating, but seriously hearing your guys support is great inspiration to keep writing.**


	3. Chapter 3: Dark Wings, Pale Blades

**A/N: Here we are! Well its a few days later than I would have liked but for me a few days late is pretty good! And you guys are incredible! All the follows and reviews and stuff are awesome! So I won't hold you up with my ramblings, enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter 3: Dark Wings, Pale Blades**

The day was clear and dry, a faint breeze blew across the hard stones to gently caress the skin with whispers of the coming fall. Alcranz Schnee sighed contentedly to himself looking up at the pale overcast sky that was blocking the most powerful rays of the sun to leave the day cool and shady, but he also judged that the clouds were not dark enough to warrant much worry about walking back to the keep in the rain. The slate gray stones of the valley fortress towered into the sky just before him as he approached, blocking more and more of the pale sky from view.

As he entered the fortress proper soldiers snapped to attention saluting him smartly, their manner and dress was quite good for having a surprise visit, although he'd be willing to bet Qrow would have them doing drills and scrubbing floors after he left just for posterity, it was part of the job. In the meantime he enjoyed the military atmosphere; it was a pleasant change from the overly stuffy and cordial meanderings of court politics. A large grizzled soldier standing guard on the wall above the gatehouse turned to him and saluted, this one had clearly seen some combat in defense of the city, Alcranz returned the salute and gave him a curt nod as he passed, the soldier grunted slightly as he returned to his watch, a glimmer of real respect in his eyes.

Alcranz liked military matters, he liked to think he was rather good at them too, but leading great armies to war was not how he wished to be remembered, no war was well and good when you had to do it but actively seeking it out was not wise, if his hundreds of years of life had taught him anything it was that. These thoughts passed through his mind as he slowly worked his way through the fortress, finally arriving at a small stone balcony hanging from the side of one of the tallest towers. The balcony gave a good vantage of the pass approaching the fortified gate, relatively steep and devoid of all but the hardiest mountain plant life, the area to either side of the road was stony and treacherous underfoot, an almost perfect natural defense for the fortress. The young sentry manning the balcony seemed petrified by his quiet appearance.

"Could you find someone to fetch me a bottle of liqueur and a glass?" He asked mildly.

The sentry finally overcame his shock, snapped off a rigid salute and took off back into the fortress to find a servant. Alcranz smiled slightly to himself and sat down at the small wooden table that was on the balcony. Not too long later he had a goblet of blood liqueur and had dismissed the servant; he had learned in his time with Qrow that it was better to be found than go looking. He was rewarded not too much later when Qrow materialized in the seat across from him after he turned his head to look out at the valley entrance, this didn't startle him in fact he had rather been expecting something like that.

"Good morning Qrow." He said simply taking a sip from his cup.

"Damn, that's another trick that doesn't work anymore." Qrow replied with a wry smirk.

Alcranz scoffed smirking himself. "I'm sure you'll think of something, you always do."

"Well I have a reputation to uphold." Qrow replied.

Alcranz fully turned his attention towards the man now with their pleasantries done, Qrow looked a bit odd for captain of the guard, he was not overly muscled nor did he often tramp around in full armor, but instead wore a black pin striped suit vest over a gray silk undershirt, with a blood red kerchief tucked into the vest pocket. Although it could not currently be seen Alcranz knew the kerchief was embroidered with his personal winged cog emblem in gray thread. Black dress pants and black dress shoes, and finally topped with a tattered and torn black cloak lined with dark red satin. He had coarse gray hair covering his jaw to match the two tone gray/black hair on his head; Alcranz wasn't sure if that was a sign of the man's age or if he was merely like that. He would have fit the role of spymaster better than guard captain but his looks had not stopped him from doing both yet.

Qrow saw the small smile on Alcranz's face fall into a tight line. "How come you never told me Summer had a daughter?"

Qrow's eyes widened for a moment. "How? Did you find out? I didn't think you'd go searching."

"I didn't, Weiss hired her as a personal attendant last week, I would have taken no notice of that if not for Weiss' interest in the girl, she drinks from Ruby." Alcranz said leaning forward until his elbows were on the small table.

Qrow's face was hard set in thought, before his eyes flicked sideways to look at Alcranz. "She's Taiyang's you know."

"I suppose that doesn't surprise me… he's still in the city isn't he?" Alcranz replied.

Qrow shrugged. "Technically yes, he works on the merchant fleet so he's gone for most of the year."

"And he just leaves his daughters behind?" He asked somewhat shocked. "Yang that was his eldests' name right?"

Again Qrow nodded. "Yes, I think he originally took that job to get away from the grief, Summer's death really hit him hard."

"Her sacrifice hit all of us, saved the whole damn city." Alcranz shook his head. "But still just to abandon his own daughters like that?"

"He got better, but he still needed the income and nowhere else would hire him for more money than with the fleet, even given that I've been helping support them while he's gone." Qrow replied shaking his head. "He's missed most of their lives trying to make sure they don't starve to death."

"From what I've heard they were getting pretty close to that anyway." Alcranz said evenly leaning back in his chair again.

Qrow's brow twitched and his fist clenched on the table. "Yang's to dust damned headstrong for her own good, she won't take more money from me, what in the hell does she think I need it for?"

"It shouldn't be an issue any more, I've instructed Glynda to pay her handsomely for her service." Alcranz replied waving his hand dismissively. Qrow looked up at him some of the stress falling from his shoulders. "But you still haven't answered my question."

"No, I haven't." Qrow sighed heavily and suddenly looking much older. "Summer asked me not to before she left, Ruby was still just a little girl then." He sighed exasperatedly this time. "I don't know why she didn't want you to know, maybe for fear of what you would have done afterwards."

"What _I_ would have done? What taken her in and given her a good life?" Alcranz asked incredulously.

"Would you have taken Taiyang in too? Or would you have separated her from her father? Her sister?" Qrow retorted.

Alcranz deflated the red anger that had been rising in his pale cheeks drained away. "I would have adopted her…" He offered meekly.

"Qrow shook his head, Taiyang would never have let you." Alcranz frowned deeply into his drink. "Still." Qrow continued. "Maybe it would have been better if you had, I don't think Summer imagined their life would be this hard, but I promised her."

Alcranz nodded. "I suppose it doesn't matter now, I can help Ruby and her sister now. Summer deserves much more than that from me but that is what I can do for now."

Qrow nodded looking off into the valley letting a long moment of silence pass between them.

"There is other news I have to pass to you though." Qrow said grimly, changing topic.

"Oh? From your scouts?" Alcranz asked.

"Yes, about Taurus." Qrow said simply.

"Oh… black news indeed." Alcranz cursed darkly under his breath. "Well ignoring it won't make it go away, tell me."

* * *

Ruby sat in the plush armchair that she had essentially claimed as her own in Weiss' large study, reading as Weiss sat and worked. Her desk was now strewn with a wide variety of ornate swords, the product of the blacksmiths that hoped to win the contest. Over the past few days she had narrowed it down to two blades that currently sat side by side on the desk before her. With a rush of movement Weiss stood snatching one blade off the desk and delivering a series of blows to an imagined opponent behind her. Ruby calmly turned the page, it was only about the twentieth time she had done that. Weiss sighed lowering the blade and straightened some from her pose.

She turned the blade in her hand examining it for the hundredth time. "Ruby?"

Ruby had her place in the book marked, the book down on the seat, and was standing beside Weiss hands folded neatly in front of her within a few moments of the question. "Yes Miss?"

"You said your Uncle was Qrow correct? The Guard captain?" Weiss asked walking slowly to the front of her desk laying the sword down as she passed around it to gaze out the massive window.

"Aye Miss." Ruby replied standing where she was, merely following Weiss with her eyes as she moved. She had found over the past week that Weiss liked to stand there in front of the window as she thought, sometimes pacing before it.

"Have you ever had any lessons with weapons" Weiss asked twisting herself to look back at her.

Ruby nodded with a slight mischievous smirk. "Aye Miss quite a few, though I always preferred the halberd over most weapons."

Weiss cocked an eyebrow as she ran that mental picture through her head, trying it out, it didn't quite mesh in her head properly. "That's… not what I would have guessed."

Ruby shrugged indifferently. "I learned a lot about weapons in general though, swords included."

Weiss fully turned to face her, letting the dim light of dusk outline her body against the window, arms crossed behind her back. "Try that blade then." Weiss said motioning with a slight tilt of her head.

Ruby stepped forward and picked up the blade, it was an elegantly ornamented saber. A long white silver blade that shone like a mirror meeting up with an ornate golden basket guard and a black leather pommel. She stood posing with the sword and taking a few experimental swings, lunges, and parries with it.

When she was done Weiss turned a questioning look towards her. "It is a beautiful blade, the decoration is magnificent, but besides that it's not an especially _good_ blade, the balance is fine but it is just a saber if a particularly fine looking one."

Weiss nodded soberly. "Very similar to my own thoughts, the hand guard there is also a problem however, it's mostly gold very little steel so that the balance would not be off, I very much doubt it would stop any really attack."

Ruby looked back to the sword in her hand examining the delicately engraved handguard more closely.

"Try the other blade" Weiss said as she began pacing slowly in front of the window.

She set down the sword and tried the other, this one a heavier one-sided straight sword with a rounded tip, the blade did not shimmer like silver but rather appeared to have dark gray smoke swirling just beneath its surface. The blade attached to a simple knuckle guard with a smaller, but sturdier looking, ring hand guard rather than a full basket, and again black leather adorned the pommel although this was smooth leather. The pommel was also ornamented with several decorative gold and jeweled bits that looked as though they had been added as an afterthought, and upon closer inspection the leather grip appeared askew as though it had been re-wrapped. The smith mark on the flat of the blade was familiar.

"This is from the smith my sister works for!" She said surprised. _"Yang probably worked on this blade."_ Ruby thought to herself.

Weiss raised an eyebrow. "Is it?"

Ruby nodded.

Weiss hummed thoughtfully, but nodded for her to continue.

Again she put the blade through its paces, swinging, chopping, lunging, and parrying. She frowned at it as she finished.

"Thoughts?" Weiss asked again.

"This blade is better, stronger steel and better for than the saber for a foot soldier, the blade is heavier less elegant but more practical…" She frowned again looking to Weiss. "But the weird ornamentation throws off the balance and the grip is a bit slippery and ill fitted."

"Exactly so." Weiss replied nodding, her eyes wandering off to the side to look at nothing in particular as she thought.

Ruby set the sword down and walked around the desk to stand before Weiss, waiting patiently while the vampiress thought. Weiss' eyes wandered over to her after a moment, Ruby watched as her pupils flicked over her form briefly before locking her beautiful crystal blue eyes to her own silver ones. Ruby always seemed to lose herself in those eyes, the thin slit pupils rimmed with the barest hint of ruby red. Weiss' tongue flicked over one of her fangs, Ruby stepped closer, her heart beginning to beat a little faster. Weiss drank from her at least once a day, sometimes twice but not usually, always at least once though. She didn't quite know why it excited her so, she felt almost like an addict leaning in closer waiting for the jolt of warmth. Weiss' arms settled around her waist pulling their bodies flush together, her own arms found their way around the vampire's shoulders bringing their faces close together. The sensation was so strange like a warm fuzzy blanket wrapped around her whole body, intimate almost sexual; she wondered if Weiss felt the same way. Weiss' warm breath ghosted over her neck as she slowly maneuvered her head into the crook next to Ruby's head. It wasn't exciting like adrenaline; it didn't make her blood run screaming through her veins, it was calm, warm, sedate. Like lying in bed on a cold winter morning, or napping in the sun shine on a breezy day. Weiss' fangs pierced her, her mouth went dry as a hot breath puffed from her followed by a quick sharp inhale, Weiss' fingers dug into the small of her back, she could _feel_ the vampires heartbeat match hers for a moment, and then it was over. Weiss' mouth moved away from the four red marks marring her otherwise pale skin, her tongue greedily going over the punctures for every last taste. They parted slightly and Ruby found those big blue eyes locked with her own again. There were stirrings deep in those crystal skies, swirling clouds of emotion that Ruby could not decipher, she wondered what the vampire saw in her own eyes?

And then the spell was broken, Weiss stepped back to a more normal speaking distance and coughed into her fist. "Thank you Ruby."

"Of course Miss." Ruby replied looking away as her face heated with a blush.

She had done this plenty of times now, it really shouldn't embarrass her like this anymore, even though she kept telling herself that the burning blush stayed on her face.

"It's gotten dark." Weiss said suddenly breaking Ruby out of her thoughts.

Weiss was looking out the window, her face tilted up slightly so that the pale starlight gently illuminated her features. Ruby nodded even though Weiss was turned away from her as she turned looking out the darkened window herself.

"I will walk you home." Weiss decided after a short moment of silence.

"Miss?" Ruby asked surprised by the offer.

"Yes, the streets can be dangerous for pretty young girls at night." Weiss replied smirking as she glanced at Ruby out of the corner of her eye, breaking into a full grin as the young woman blushed and spluttered.

"I-If you insist Miss, b-but I can take care of myself!" She added stubbornly.

Weiss was fairly convinced she could too, but she had other reasons for wanting to tag along. "Gather your things then and let us depart."

Ruby nodded quickly gathering the few things she brought with her every day before they descended to the castle courtyard. Ruby pulled her cloak tighter about herself as they stepped out from the relative comfort of the castle into the chill of the night air. Weiss saw this and felt the cool air herself, making a mental note to see how she could acquire a cloak of her own. Or… did she have one? She thought back, _"Yes there was that fur cloak given to me as a gift by the northern traders, how long ago was that_?" She wondered if the garment still existed or if it had deteriorated quietly locked away in her closet. That happened every now and again when you lived as long as a vampire.

She thought of this as she walked with Ruby down the cold starlit streets, it was not yet late enough for the moon to edge it's way above the mountains. She could tell Ruby was only having minor difficulties navigating the cobblestone streets in the relative darkness. Weiss' vampiric eyes had no such trouble. She had a friend that was both a vampire _and_ a cat Faunus, Weiss was convinced the girl couldn't _see_ darkness, twilight at best with that combination. She smiled a little to herself, it had been a long time since she had last seen Blake.

The walk to Ruby's simple home did not take long and they were not accosted by brigands or thieves on their journey, although they had crossed paths with a guard patrol hauling a drunk out of the gutter. They had snapped to attention once they noticed and the captain had offered to have his patrol act as her temporary honor guard. She had turned him down but offered to take him up on her way back to the castle, once they had dealt with the drunk. Her father often talked about mingling with the common soldiers, mutual respect and recognition. It made sense to Weiss and it was easy to do every now and then.

"Ah uhm, t-thank you for walking me home Miss." Ruby stammered out as they stood before the simple wooden door to her home. "Uhm, would you like to come in?" Weiss recognized the simple courtesy of the question; she had been counting on it in fact.

"Just for a moment." She said following Ruby into the warmth of the small home. "Just long enough to shake off the chill before walking back." She explained, mostly an excuse but still partially true.

"You should wear a cloak Miss, like mine." Ruby suggested as she closed the door behind Weiss.

"I thought that myself actually, I'll have to see about a tailor then." Weiss thought as she stepped fully into the small one room house.

"I could make you one!" Ruby blurted, seeming to startle herself at least as much as Weiss. "That is I know some needlework and."

"Done." Weiss interrupted her with a small smile on her face. "We can work out the details later." She said dismissing the topic for now. "Are you going to introduce me?"

Weiss motioned to the hunched form of Yang, who was snoring, rather audibly, on the table.

"Oh dust Yang…" Ruby muttered stepping up to her sister. "Well it may be better this way, Yang is… a little wary of vampires."

One of Weiss' eyebrows rose as she examined the sleeping woman with the golden mane.

She took in the rest of the room as well, the pieces of metal work strewn about, the bits of fabric and needlework, which claimed Ruby had some skill indeed. She looked especially at the smith work that covered nearly every available surface in the room, and nodded to herself.

Weiss hummed in response. "Perhaps you are right then; in any case I will be off then." She turned and opened the door, turning back just before she was out. "Good night Ruby."

Weiss emerged from the cozy little shack into the cool night air of the street again. Beginning her walk back towards the castle, thinking as she went.

She thought of those big silver eyes that not so long ago had been looking up at her with that swirling lust in them, a lust that was always there after Weiss drank from her, but now had crept into the young woman's eyes even before she drank.

" _It has been a long time since I last had a lover…"_ Weiss walked slowly looking up to the mountain peaks as the shattered moon slowly crept up over them bathing the valley in new light. _"So many things to consider, perhaps having a warm body beside me at night would help?"_ She considered humming quietly to herself. _"No harm in seeing if she's interested I suppose…"_ She concluded as the soldiers from early came back into view. "No harm in trying." She repeated quietly.

* * *

 **A/N: There we have it! I'm going to try and stick to a Bi-weekly-ish schedule but this school is beginning for me in just a few days so the next chapter may be delayed some.**

 **Anyway I hope you all enjoyed and I hope to see you next time!**


	4. Chapter 4: Sweet Dreams Are Made of This

**A/N: Hello everyone! I'm sorry this took so long to write, work and school have been a bit hectic lately.**

 **WARNING: Lemony goodness can be found ahead**

 **So without further ado please, enjoy.**

* * *

Chapter 4: Sweet dreams are made of this

Weiss looked up at the sound of her door opening, turning her head back she saw Ruby shutting the large study doors behind her.

"Good morning Miss, you're up early." Ruby said coming over to stand next to Weiss' desk.

It was true, Ruby normally arrived either as Weiss was still in bed or just getting up, she had gotten up early today because of all the things she wanted to do today. A little thrill of excitement shot through her at the thought of asking Ruby to be her lover. It had been a long time since she had been intimate with anyone, it hadn't seemed enticing in a very long time, she wondered why it suddenly seemed so important. Her older sister Valen was much more promiscuous, Weiss couldn't remember a time when her older sibling hadn't had a lover, and could recall quite a few more when she had three or four of them at once. Her older sister's escapades had seemed so frivolous to her so why did the having Ruby as a lover excite her so? She supposed she was getting ahead of herself, she hadn't even asked her yet… what would she do if Ruby said no?

She pushed that thought aside realizing she had been quiet for a few long moments while she was lost in her thoughts. "I'm sorry?" She asked having missed what Ruby just said.

"I asked if you'd like me to fetch you breakfast." She replied. "Are you okay Miss? You seem… distracted."

"Yes, I am, so to speak. I've decided which sword I liked better." She said turning her attention back to her desk where the long straight sword lay wrapped up neatly in its scabbard. "We'll get breakfast on the way to the smithy."

She got up taking the sword with her and handing it to Ruby to carry. "We can talk about the cloak I want while we walk."

* * *

Ruby had never actually been to the smithy where Yang worked, but she recognized the smith's symbol on the wooden sign hanging above the doorway. The building was a simple square cobblestone structure standing shoulder to shoulder with its neighbors in the market district, two stories tall with his hop below and his living space above. The front room had a counter behind which the smith sat awaiting customers, the walls were covered in an assortment of tools and weapons he had made showing what level and variety of craft was available here. The room was dimly lit only from some high windows on the front wall and the muted sound of hammer blows on metal drifted through the walls.

Upon recognizing Weiss the smith stood up abruptly. He was large but not in the usual way of a smith, he may once have been muscular but his body had fallen into a decidedly overweight and un-healthy look, he was balding and wore a scraggly brown beard.

"Miss Schnee! Welcome welcome, how can my humble forge be of service?" He asked eagerly, his eyes lighting on the sword in Ruby's hands.

Weiss motioned to her and she stepped forward presenting the sheathed blade to Weiss. Weiss took it and placed it on the rough wooden countertop.

"This blade was made here, correct?" Weiss asked simply.

"Aye Miss, right here in the finest forge short of the keep." The blacksmith assured her.

"You have an apprentice don't you?" Weiss asked next.

"Hm? Yes, she's not good enough to help with this, I made this myself." The Smith proclaimed.

"Bring her out would you?" Weiss asked sweetly enough but with that hint of veiled force that took years of practice and a certain level of personal willpower to pull off just right.

The smith hesitated a moment but quickly moved off to a side door, the muted sounds of a ringing hammer and the whooshing of bellows came through the opening as well as a considerable blast of hot metallic tasting air.

The smith hollered back into the shop and the hammer blows ceased ringing. Yang came through the door a moment later her shirt pulled down and tied at her waist so the only thing keeping her decent was a thick wrap of bandage cloth. Her muscular physique on display save for the thick leather gloves on her hands, her hair tied back with a leather strap.

Ruby caught her sister's eye and smiled at her, Yang looked confused but then noticed the sword on the counter. Recognition registered and then a flash of anger at the blade before her face returned to passivity.

Weiss glanced over Yang's sweaty muscled body and her working attire, and then back to the portly smith in his clean leather apron.

"You made this sword didn't you?" She asked very pointedly looking at Yang.

"Miss Schnee?!-" Weiss silenced the smith with a raised hand.

"Tell me, did you make this blade?" Weiss asked calmly fixing her pale blue eyes on Yang's lilac ones.

Ruby looked to Weiss confusion on her face, didn't Weiss know that Yang would get in trouble for this, even if she had made the sword?

"Most of it." Yang finally replied after a long moment.

"You didn't make the decorations." Weiss stated that already able to guess.

Yang shook her head stiffly.

"Miss Schnee! She has not the skill! She's lying to you, she hasn't learnt her lessons to be truthful." The smith turned raising a hand as if to hit Yang, who looked hard anger building beneath her lilac eyes.

"STOP!" Weiss roared. When she wanted to Weiss could fill a room with her voice, the kind of commanding tone that made you wince and drop your eyes to the floor. Weiss had that mastered.

"Someone here is a rat, and I have my inklings as to who." Weiss very pointedly looked at neither of them. "But I will be fair, I propose a challenge, each of you will make me another blade, the better blade will win just as before but only between the two of you."

Yang's face dropped as the smith smiled widely.

"Yang." Weiss said turning to the blond. "You will have free roam of the keep's smithy and the materials therein, we wouldn't want any… friction from working in the same smithy." Weiss said eyeing the two as there expressions shifted, Yang perking up now and the smith's smile drooping.

After a few moments of silence Weiss nodded. "Good, Yang gather your things and come with me, I shall expect the new blades at the end of the week."

* * *

Out on the street Yang followed next to Ruby, her leather jacket over her shoulder and a small bundle under her arm. Yang looked down to her sister communicating in that special soundless way that only siblings and lovers can.

Cocking an eyebrow in question Yang looked down at her sister. Ruby just smiled and shrugged, Weiss did what she believed was best, and Ruby could only guess at her motives.

"Now then Ruby." Weiss said breaking the two from their soundless conversation. "You have a list of things you will need for the cloak correct?"

"Yes Miss, right here."

* * *

Neo sat on her stool one leg set over the other as she slowly ran an oil rag over the long knife in her hand. She stopped long enough to hold the blade up to the light coming in through the window across the room, shimmering rays bounced off the mirror polish flickering like fire as it danced off the steel. Smiling she carefully slid the blade back into its sheath inside her petticoat before pulling another knife out of the back of her boot.

"How many knives do you have anyway?" Torchwick asked abruptly from his seat by the fireplace where he had been quietly watching her slowly clean one knife after another.

She cocked her head to look at him, smiling with her shifting miss-matched eyes. "Enough." She replied simply, her voice smooth as silk.

Torchwick grimaced nearly dropping the cigar from his mouth. "Right well I'm going to check on the boss."

Neo shrugged gesturing loosely with the knife in her hand as she silently went back to cleaning it.

Torchwick went into the next room shutting the door behind him, and then shivered. "Eugh why do we need her again?"

"Because she can get information out of anyone." Adam replied calmly as he leaned over the chart table in the glow of a lantern. "Well, any _woman._ " He corrected.

"Surely we could do well enough without her, I'm a creative man to say the least." Torchwick placed a hand on his chest modestly.

"It's not the same, she gets into their heads because of how she enjoys it, what she does doesn't even cause that much pain." Taurus replied.

Torchwick frowned and shivered again slightly. "You mean the way she _gets off_ on it." He straightened his jacket as if the words had disturbed it. "Freaky little fetishist, and a vampire to boot why don't we just rub her out now?"

Adam grimaced. "You know how _I_ feel about vampires, but even monsters can be useful sometimes. We'll get what we need from her and then dispose of her."

Surely Adam knew she could hear him, Torchwick might not, but surely the _vampire hunter_ would know her hearing was good enough to catch a conversation that was only in the _next room_. She sighed looking over the knife in her hand, slowly turning the blade until her eyes looked back at her in its mirrored surface.

"You're the only one who understands me." She said quietly to her reflection.

* * *

Yang walked slowly around the large open air smithy that resided within the wall of the Schnee keep. A sturdy wooden roof stood over the large work area shingled with dark gray slate tiles to keep the elements off of the equipment. Just inside the overhang of the roof were rolls of heavy black leather that could be dropped down to completely protect the smithy from the outside in a storm. The floor was raised slightly from the surrounding ground on a large stone slab worn smooth by time and heavy booted feet. The back wall of the forge was the wall of the keep and the right was the small cottage for the smith but the front and left were open to the air.

Yang walked in slowly setting her things down on a large wooden table against the right wall. She looked around taking in the vast and impressively equipped forge. The massive forge against the castle wall and it's he bellows powered by dust engines. The dark steel anvil sitting on its stone mount, the racks of tools along the two walls.

"This can all be yours, if you've the skill." Yang twisted back to look at Weiss standing just under the roof.

Yang didn't say anything right away. "Why are you doing this?"

"Because I want a good blacksmith, that blade was the best of the ones entered, except for the gaudy ornamentation." Weiss shrugged. "From what Ruby has told me about your work there, the smith, and from seeing the metalwork all over your home, I knew you had made the blade."

"Then why the contest?" yang asked fully turning to face Weiss.

The vampiress shrugged. "There is always the chance I'm wrong, but I also need to at least appear fair, give him a chance to prove himself."

Yang was quiet for a long moment looking off into the sky deep in thought, Weiss was about to turn away when Yang spoke up again. "I'm not going to call you mistress."

Weiss smiled. "Just 'Weiss' is fine, would you have me call you by a title?"

Slowly Yang shook her head. "No, just Yang will do." She hesitated a moment and then stuck out her hand.

Weiss shook it noting the fierce grip the blond had, and then Yang was turned away heading back into the forge to begin her work.

"Yang is… not fond of vampires Miss." Ruby said once Yang was out of earshot.

"Yes you told me that, do you think she will be alright working here?" Weiss asked seriously.

Ruby put a hand under her chin in thought for a moment. "Yeah, I think she's accepted that you aren't all bad. You specifically that is."

"She will work?"

Ruby nodded. "For her own smithy, a house outside of Trough, and good payment, she'll do it, or I'll personally kick her ass."

Weiss smiled. "Good."

* * *

"Yang is set up at the smithy?" Weiss asked Ruby.

Ruby nodded smiling. "Yep, she finally finished fawning over all the equipment and actually got her things set up."

Ruby had been with Yang at the smithy for the rest of the day helping her sister set things up as well as situating the supplies and tools she would need for Weiss' cloak.

Weiss smirked slightly. "And you were working on the cloak there?"

Again Ruby nodded. "Yes, I should be able to finish it within a week."

"That's good, the season is really beginning to change." Weiss said walking around to the front of her desk to look out the window. "Since your sister will be staying at the smith house I've set up a room for you, the servants quarter next to my room has been empty for a long time but I had it cleaned up and prepared for you."

"Oh? Thank you Miss." Ruby said bowing slightly.

Weiss looked back at Ruby over her shoulder, those pale blue eyes framed by the dying light of day once again. Ruby was mesmerized, the pale blue crystals sparkling in Weiss' irises, like a thousand shards of pale sapphire flecked with obsidian here and there, and then at its center the sapphire gave way to blood red rubies to rim her pupil.

"Come here." Weiss ordered quietly.

She went padding across the soft carpet to stand before the vampire quietly, looking into those crystalline eyes. Weiss pushed herself off the desk, one arm slowly wrapping around Ruby's waist and pulling her close against her, the other tilting her chin to the side ever so slightly.

Weiss looked into those pale silver eyes, the midnight black pupil in the center looking like a void in the center of a thousand shards of metal sinking towards it. Here a sliver as bright as Myrtenaster in the sun, there a shard as black as iron and again a steel bright shimmer in them all. From a distance they all blended together into a silver gray cloud but up close the variation in the coloring stood out in stark contrast to the black of her pupil and white of her eyes.

Ruby gulped as Weiss leaned in her blood pumping in her veins getting ready for Weiss' fangs to sink into the pulsing vein in her neck. But she didn't, her lips didn't ghost over her heated skin they locked with her own. A soft gasp lost into Weiss' mouth as their lips came together. Eyes open wide with surprise quickly fading to half lidded eyes and finally closing as Weiss' hand cupped the back of her head pulling her closer, her own arms wrapping around Weiss' neck.

Moments passed before Weiss slowly pulled away. "Will you… will you share a bed with me tonight Ruby?"

Ruby swallowed thickly, her heart was hammering in her chest. "A bed? Miss I…" Her voice faltered and she just nodded.

Weiss smiled sweetly. "Just Weiss then." She corrected as she began to pull Ruby towards her room.

Was she really about to do this? Was Weiss. _Weiss!_ Really inviting her into her bed?

There was another kiss as Weiss' door closed behind them. And locked.

When she broke from the kiss she somehow found her clothes had come off, did she do that? Weiss was still dressed and was looking at her with a self-satisfied smirk on her face, _she_ did that.

Ruby moved in and began to gently remove Weiss' clothes, one at a time folding them neatly and placing them on the wardrobe removing all her outer layers. Weiss pulled her in for another kiss when she was down to just her underwear, and when that one ended it was Ruby's turn to smirk as she tossed Weiss' bra to the side. Finally Weiss stepped out of her panties on her own before advancing on Ruby kissing and pushing until her knees hit the back of the bed and they fell together onto the soft comforter.

Weiss was on top looking down at Ruby, she could feel the hunger bubbling inside of her, why had she ignored this for so long? She bent her head again kissing teasing with her fangs, jaw, neck, collarbone, lips again. Her hand settled over a soft breast trapping a pert nipple between her knuckles as she groped, a soft sharp gasp escaping from Ruby, but she quickly abandoned this she was hungry. Her hand went lower ghosting over ribs, trailing over the taught muscle of her belly before slipping between her legs.

"You shave?" Weiss smirked cocking an eyebrow.

And it was _that,_ that made Ruby blush and turn her face away. Weiss laughed and buried her face in the crook of Ruby's neck nipping at the soft flesh there. Her fingers found Ruby moist and hot, she teased the girl only enough to get her fingers wet, she could have fun drawing a long teasing orgasm out of the girl later, right now she wanted sweat, and sex, and heat.

Ruby almost screamed when Weiss' fingers sank into her, she didn't know if Weiss had ever been with anyone before, but she certainly hadn't, she didn't really know what it would feel like she didn't even really know what to do so she was quite content to let Weiss lead. It briefly crossed her mind that Weiss was, in fact, a _girl._ There wasn't anything in particular attached to that thought, just a sort of passing curiosity that she was attracted to women, but she had more pressing matter on her mind. This, this was incredible Weiss' fingers inside her probing, pressing, wiggling every little movement causing her to arch her back up into Weiss, a moan to tear out of her throat, and Weiss just hovered above her with that satisfied smirk painting her face.

"M-miss!" Ruby cried out.

Weiss just grinned she flicked the spot again getting another desperate cry out of the girl beneath her. "Please Ruby, just call me Weiss here." She cooed with absolute calm.

Ruby, predictably, didn't respond. Her eyes shot open looking up at nothing, Weiss saw it saw the ripple of nerves just begin to start, the mist clouding Ruby's eyes, the muscles beginning to constrict around Weiss' probing fingers. Then she sank her fangs into Ruby's neck, it was like being struck by lightning. In that instant they became one like an electrical surge they were together, sharing every sensation as Ruby's body crashed over the edge dragging Weiss along with her as they plummeted into white blinding oblivion as Ruby screamed out Weiss' name.

The stars finally faded from Ruby's vision and the ceiling of Weiss' room came back into focus, her breath coming in ragged puffs as she lay on Weiss' bed. Her thigh was wet and sticky between Weiss' legs and she could feel the same between her own as Weiss slowly pulled her fingers from her core. Weiss was breathing hard too as she brought her hand up, their faces were pressed together as Weiss had collapsed onto her side next to Ruby. She watched as the sticky fingers came towards her and then disappeared into Weiss' mouth.

"Hmmm even better than your blood, if only just." Weiss said grinning wickedly.

Ruby blushed and let her head fall back onto the pillows closing her eyes.

"Hehe well I guess we'll have to work on your stamina." Ruby opened her eyes looking to Weiss' grinning face again. "But for now." Weiss' voiced dropped to a soft whisper. "Thank you Ruby, I needed that more than I thought."

Ruby just smiled softly. "Anything for you, Weiss."

Weiss smiled and pulled Ruby against her fitting their bodies together as Weiss' chin rested in the crook of Ruby's neck, and like that they drifted off to sleep.

* * *

 **A/N: Well there you go, I hope to have the next chapter done a bit faster than this one. (I always hope that but what can ya do?) So the next chapter** _ **should**_ **be a bit easier to write, I know more exactly what I want to happen there. Anyway it's not too often I write smut but I do personally think it can be just as good at telling story and developing character as anything else. I hope you all enjoyed and I want to thank all of you for the great support you've shown for the story!**

 **See you all next time!**


	5. Chapter 5: Warming your Bed

**A/N: Sorry this took so long! Anyway we'll be getting some history this chapter that some of you have been asking about! Enjoy!**

Chapter 5: Warming your bed

Weiss awoke to warmth and comfort, her arms wrapped around the soft warm body pulled close against her front, her nose nuzzling into soft hair, legs entwined with another's. She hummed contentedly and opened her eyes, Ruby's sleeping form illuminated by the gentle light of morning that was bleeding through the curtains. She smiled and kissed at the skin of Ruby's neck waking the girl in the process.

"Hmm good morning." The red girl cooed quietly.

Weiss chuckled softly. "I've been having a lot of good mornings lately." Weiss returned continuing to nuzzle into Ruby.

Ruby giggled as Weiss tickled her. "Stop, stop come on we should get up." Ruby pleaded between fits of giggling.

Weiss let out an overdramatic sigh. "I _suppose_ you are right."

She pushed herself up letting Ruby go. She watched as the smaller girl got up admiring the curves of her body and the way the early morning light hit them, completely un-abashed in her staring. Ruby noticed and huffed over her shoulder, Weiss only smiled in return.

They dressed together and headed out of Weiss' rooms into the hallway and headed down to the dining hall for breakfast.

"I'm sure Nora will have something ready for us, go and tell her I'm ready and she may bring it out." Weiss said entering the dining hall herself. There was no one else in the room as yet, Winter did not get up as early as she because Winter did not have any important duties until her classes later in the day. Valen wouldn't be up because she would still be in bed with her lovers, Weiss smirked, at least _she_ could manage to get out of bed in time even though the prospect of staying in bed for another bout was very tempting.

Ruby came in a moment later following Nora, both of them had trays of food and condiments. Nora set hers down laden with fresh rolls, sizzling bacon, fried eggs, and hashed potatoes as well as butter, jam, and salt. Ruby's tray had a carafe of piping hot coffee, cream, and sugar. Ruby poured and doctored the cup perfectly to Weiss' liking before setting it before the vampire.

Weiss smiled up at her. "Thank you Ruby, please eat with me." She said gesturing to the seat beside her.

Weiss grinned eyeing Ruby out of the corner of her vision. She had thought getting a servant would be a good idea, back then it had been merely out of the desire to cut down on legwork. Ruby though, Ruby was so much more. At first her blood had been the greatest benefit, Weiss knew that her aversion to fresh blood was not quite healthy for her but she had not had a taste for it since the incident that had driven her away from the practice. But that was not all, Ruby became more than that, she was more than a servant, she became a friend someone Weiss could talk to during the long lonely hours of the day spent in her study, a lover to warm her bed something she had not had since Blake had decided to stay in far off Vacuo.

Weiss had met Blake when they were both young, comparatively so at least, Weiss had been around fifty years old and Blake had been about ten, this arrangement meant that they _looked_ about the same age, vampires reaching their maturity at around a hundred years of age. Weiss and her family had been living in the area for a short time, her father had been trying to secure trade connections for Vale which was being run by his father, Weiss' Grandfather at the time. It was difficult because the largest port city on that side of the inland sea, Tran'abar, was controlled by a powerful faction of Vampire Hunters lead by one Adam Taurus, an infamous hunter who had gained immortality by some ritual involving the ancient Minotaur clans from the Northern Mountains. Blake was being raised and trained by the hunters, when Weiss met her. Keeping her vampirism secret from the young Blake they had become good friends over the course of a few years, eventually though Weiss told her. Blake had been hurt that she had kept it a secret for so long but understood, she was always good at understanding others. She had thought for a long time after that and Weiss was worried she would turn them over to the hunters, but she hadn't. Instead Blake had betrayed the hunters, allowing Weiss' father and his men to destroy the Hunter stronghold. Taurus fled with the shattered remains of his hunters leaving Blake behind. Alcranz had offered to make Blake a vampire for her deed and she accepted becoming a not-quite sister to Weiss. It was in the fifty years after that as Alcranz helped rebuild the hunter fortress into a thriving port city specializing in blood liqueur and spices among other things, that Weiss and Blake had become lovers for a time. Never truly _in love_ just making it. That had ended when Weiss and her family went back to Vale, Blake and a few other vampires had stayed behind to run the city. Blake had become the matriarch of her own noble house of vampires since then, still connected to the Schnee house but powerful and separate in its own right.

"Miss?" Ruby asked breaking Weiss from her reverie.

"Hmm? Oh sorry, my mind was elsewhere." Weiss replied noticing she had still managed to eat her breakfast while she was thinking.

Ruby chuckled slightly. "It must be strange having hundreds of years of memories, it is a wonder you don't spend more time _elsewhere._ "

Weiss smiled slightly, but then frowned.

"Miss?" Ruby asked at the sudden change.

"I have and will still live for hundreds of years, your entire lifetime will pass before me like the blink of an eye." She looked at Ruby, her expression un-readable as she thought. _She will pass, others will come, it is the way of mortals._

She stood pushing back her chair with a scrape. "Come it is the deadline for Yang and the Smith to have their swords ready."

"Oh! Yes before you go there's something I have for you." Ruby said smiling broadly. "Come I have it in my room waiting for you."

Ruby wasn't usually so… insubordinate like this but Weiss didn't mind the familiarity, from Ruby at least, besides now she was curious, and the curiosity helped her forget her melancholy from a moment ago. She followed Ruby through the castles halls until they were at her quarters. The small room situated next to Weiss' own quarters so her personal attendant would always be close at hand, come to think of it though she was fairly certain Ruby had not slept in the room as of yet.

Ruby opened the door for Weiss and she stepped in, she stopped short her breath caught.

"Well do you like it?" Ruby asked with barely contained anticipation on her face.

Weiss looked over the cloak hanging in the center of the room, it was made of fine white linen for its length, with a sable layer of soft black leather around the shoulders upon which was embroidered her personal snowflake symbol, the interior of the cloak was lined with blood red satin which clearly had another layer between it and the outer, it would be warm.

"It's beautiful Ruby." Weiss said feeling the fabric between her fingers.

"Here I had Yang help me with this." Ruby held out a small silver cross with pointed ends to fasten the cloak with.

Smiling Weiss pulled the cloak about her with a flourish and clasped it in place at her neck, it felt glorious.

"I figured you would want to look your best today, not to mention the fact that it is cold out there." Ruby added quietly.

Weiss made a few poses and quick movements testing how it moved and admiring the way it flowed about her, another quick step and she was before Ruby, cupping her chin up and kissing her, deeply, for just a moment before sweeping out of the room laughing.

Ruby on the other hand was rooted, blushing furiously for several moments before she could finally get a signal from her brain all the way down to her legs to tell them to start following her.

They made their way out into the castle courtyard, and walked over to the smithy. Yang was there waiting for them, a bundle wrapped in cloth lying on the table before her. She nodded sharply to Weiss.

No words were exchanged, Weiss merely nodded back and Yang took up her bundle and went with them out into the town, two guards joined them outside the gates and they set off towards the smithy in Trough.

* * *

Yang and the portly smith stood next to each other before a large wooden table, two cloth wrapped bundles lay there as Weiss stood on the other side of the table, straight backed with her hands behind her, with Ruby slightly behind her.

"Both of you have completed your work?" Weiss asked simply.

"Aye." Yang said shortly.

"Of course Miss Schnee." The portly blacksmith said.

"Let me see what you've made." Weiss said with a short nod.

The Blacksmith pulled the sword out of its wrapping revealing an elegant black scabbard accented in gold, an ornate basketed handguard emerged from the top of the sheath with fresh smooth black leather wrapped around the pommel. The blade was now more nearly a saber long and elegantly curved, the steel was bright and immaculately polished til it shone brightly in the light. Weiss took the blade and held it up examining it carefully before taking a few practice swings with it, letting nothing show on her face.

She set the blade down and nodded to yang.

Yang revealed her blade, the scabbard was simple, black leather and steel with a few silver accents decorating the top and tip of the sheath. The pommel was wrapped in soft leather and protected by a single knuckle guard made of a dull steel connected to the base of the bale. The blade itself was curved very slightly back to a cut back tip with only the forward side holding an edge, the un-sharpened rear of the blade was thicker and a different color than the blade, the rear being a dark blue-gray steel, with a gradual fade to the bright almost white steel of the blade's keen edge. It was thicker, heavier, and slightly longer than its counterpart.

Weiss took the blade and again tested its balance and the feel of it in her hand with a few practice swings. The smith looked pleased with himself as Weiss tested Yang's design, again showing no emotion.

"Ruby." Weiss said pausing and turning to the girl. "Hold this." She continued giving Ruby the elaborate saber.

Ruby took it and held it up in a ready stance as if she were going to duel with Weiss. Weiss took up Yang's blade and without any warning swung it against the saber, the stronger sharper blade biting into and then cutting through the gaudy steel of the saber cutting it into two pieces. As the blade hit the floor with a ringing clang she turned pointing the un-marred katana at the portly smith.

"I asked for a _sword!_ Not some fanciful decoration!" She growled darkly glaring at the portly smith.

"M-m-miss Schnee!" He stammered backing away from the blade point.

He opened his mouth again to speak but Weiss silenced him with a sweep of the blade. "Enough, I have made my decision." She said turning to Yang and handing her back the weapon. "It is convenient then that you have already set up your things in the castle smithy as you shall be staying there." She glared once more at the smith before turning on her heel towards the door, cloak billowing out behind her. "Come on then our business here is finished."

Ruby and Yang followed her out smiling broadly to each other as they stepped out into the cold air, leaving behind the heat of the smithy.

"Yang?" Weiss asked over her shoulder as they began the journey back to the keep.

"Aye Ma'am?" Yang replied looking to the vampire.

"I'd like you to make a dozen more of those blades for evaluation by the guard, I have a suspicion that we may be changing their equipment fairly soon." She said with a wry smirk. "That is truly a fine blade, I have not seen one quite like it before."

"I'm glad you approve Ma'am I'll get right on it." Yang replied smiling still.

* * *

Neo sat on a small stump in front of a cabin located out in a small clearing in the middle of the woods, the break in the trees the small clearing caused gave her a view of the tall mountain crags that formed the natural defenses of Vale. Barely visible at this distance was the small pass stopped up by the massive fortress gates of the city. She held a small piece of wood and she was carefully carving it with one of her knives.

"The servant we want belongs to Weiss, not the older sibling Valen, you are to bring her back here and hand her over to Neo, then leave." Adam instructed the small band of men he had for this covert mission.

Neo looked at the ragged group of men with disdain, barely more than common criminals, she did not have expectations of them. Neither did Adam but his more skilled men were doing other more important missions.

"These vampires won't notice a missing servant right away, and even if they do I can't imagine they'll care." Adam continued.

Neo wasn't so sure about that, they were going after Weiss' _personal servant,_ Neo had never had a personal servant but she imagined her absence would be noticed. Whether the vampire cared or not was another matter, Neo didn't know the woman enough to make a judgement on that. It was of little importance to her though presumably these thugs would bring back _someone_ and then Neo would have her fun whether they knew anything or not. She needed to watch her back though, Adam was getting close to his 'master plan' and she didn't want to be around when he started killing vampires.

She flicked a shaving of wood away with the blade of her knife.

She knew that any normal person would consider her a monster for what she did, she didn't choose to be the way she was, but it didn't matter. Adam though, Adam was a monster, she could smell the bestial magic that kept him alive, the stink of the Minotaur barbarians. His plans were truly monstrous, but then what did she care? Nobody down there in that city would accept her, they would try and kill her. She was not the kind of person to sequester herself in the wilderness, or to hide her sinful nature and muddle through life, she was who she was and nothing would take that away from her. It was a lonely life though and that was the root of her sorrow. She sighed slightly. "Nobody gets me." She whispered shaking her head.

She shook herself and stood, Adam and his men had departed some time ago while she sat thinking. The sun was setting now hanging low in the sky painting the clouds a bloody red, she let herself into the small cabin, Adam's thugs would be back during the night and she had things to prepare, tools to sharpen. Tonight she would have some fun, maybe tomorrow she would leave, it was getting to risky to be around these hunters. She nodded to herself deciding.

Tonight she would enjoy herself, it had been too long since last she had a… guest, to entertain.

* * *

 **A/N: So anyone else get Fallout 4?**

 **Sorry about how long this took, by the time I could pry myself away from Fallout Finals had started and projects started and it's been busy. Apologies. Anyway I hope you enjoyed, and I'll see you next time.**


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